FreePress 9-18-15

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FRIDAY, September 18, 2015 • VOL. 18, NO. 24 • FREE

thechampionnewspaper.com

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• A PUBLICATION OF ACE III COMMUNICATIONS •

School children
welcome pope with
Flat Francis project

Health department
celebrates veggie
month

High school seeks to
address first generation
students’ needs

Local, 3A

local, 14A

education, 18A

Youngsters from The Goddard School
decorating signs and placing books
in a donation bin.

DeKalb County Commissioner Kathie Gannon was recently recognized for 10 years in office. Photo by Travis Hudgons

School aims to collect
25,000 books for charity
by Ashley Oglesby
[email protected]

P

reschoolers at The Goddard
School are in the midst of
a month-long charity book
drive.
Students, parents and faculty
have set a goal to collect 25,000
books that will be donated to
Children Read Atlanta, a nonprofit organization based in DeKalb
County and designed to improve
reading skills of children by giving
them books of their own before
they reach kindergarten.
The Goddard School launched
the initiative Sept. 1. Owner of the
Goddard School’s Atlanta campus,
Viral Dave said they’ve already
collected approximately 5,000
books.
Assuming the 27 metro Atlanta
Goddard Schools meet their goal,
this is believed to be the largest
one-time donation the charity will
have ever received.
Dave moved to Atlanta in
2006 to work with the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention.
In May 2013, he opened the Goddard School in midtown.
Every quarter individual Goddard School owners meet and discuss what’s happening in the area

See Charity on page 15A

Commissioner celebrates
‘roller coaster’ decade
by Andrew Cauthen
[email protected]
Becoming an elected official wasn’t on Kathie Gannon’s bucket list.
“It wasn’t really a decision that
I made in terms of
a life goal, but I’ve
always done service
kinds of things,” said
Gannon, who was
recently recognized
for her 10 years as
a DeKalb County
commissioner.
Before she ran for
office, Gannon, who
had worked in child
welfare, was taking
a break from work.
She had been the
founding executive
director of Georgia CASA (Court
Appointed Special
Advocates), a statewide nonprofit that
provides trained volunteers to advocate
for abused and neglected children. She
also founded the statewide
citizen and judicial Foster
Care Review program.
Gannon was appointed to
the planning commission by
her commissioner who later

resigned to run for the CEO’s
position.
The opportunity to seek
the commissioner’s seat came
unexpectedly, she said.
“I was at a fair and some-

‘When I became
a commissioner,
we still did not
have recycling,
so I got recycling
going.’

Teachers and students decorated the doors of their classrooms to
encourage people to donate.

championnewspaper

championnews

championnewspaper

-Kathy Gannon

one came up to me and
said, ‘Are you running for
District 6 commissioner?’”
Gannon said. That was when
she learned that the seat was
open and within a week she

See Gannon on page 15A

champnews

local

Page 2A The Champion FREE PRESS, FRIDAY, september 18, 2015

This is DeKalb!

Stone Mountain Park

Atlanta Greek Festival

Arabia Mountain
National Heritage Area

Atlanta Silverbacks Professional Soccer

DeKalb is known for its diverse population with a global identity.
We are home to many fun things to see and do, like Stone Mountain Park,
Georgia’s #1 attraction, as well as renowned colleges and universities.
Our year-round festivals and events celebrate the cultures of the world.

Experience the fine cuisine, parks, sports and international
communities that make DeKalb such a delightful place to explore.

Get Inspired to Discover DeKalb

www.AtlantasDeKalb.com

DeKalb Convention & Visitors Bureau

VisitAtlantasDeKalbCounty.com

local

The Champion FREE PRESS, FRIDAY, september 18, 2015Page 3A

School children welcome pope with Flat Francis project
by Kathy Mitchell
Officials at the Immaculate Heart of Mary (IHM)
School on Briarcliff Road
decided Pope Francis’ visit
to the America this month
would be an excellent opportunity to teach students
about the current pope and
the papacy in general. The
pontiff—in his first visit to
America—is in the United
States through Sept. 27.
Although Pope Francis
will not visit Georgia, IHM
students are welcoming him
to the United States by participating in a Flat Francis
promotion the school started
in August and is continuing
through late September.
“Everybody here is very
excited about this. I wish I
could say this was my idea,”
said Melinda Martin, IHM’s
admissions director and
registrar, who is coordinatEighth grade students at Immaculate Heart of Mary School along with Director of Faith Formation Carmen
ing the effort. “Actually the
idea came from the Catholic Graciaa, Principal Jim Lee and Monsignor Al Jowdy, surround a large Flat Francis image.
Extension. The staff there
In a month-long activity, have gone on outings. The
projects that have been popdeveloped the project in
students
at IHM, a Cathoular
in
elementary
schools
children are really enjoying
June and we’ve made a few
lic
school
that
serves
500
for
years.
The
1964
children’s
this.”
changes to adopt it as our
students
in
kindergarten
book
Flat
Stanley
by
Jeff
IHM students are among
own.” Catholic Extension
through
eighth
grade,
are
Brown
was
the
inspiration
Catholic
school students
is a national organization
taking
Flat
Francis
paper
for
a
school
project
created
across
the
country particithat provides funding and
dolls
around
and
photoin
1995.
Typically,
children
pating
in
their
own versions
resources to dioceses and
graphing
them
in
a
variety
of
are
given
a
Flat
Stanley
paper
of
the
Flat
Francis
project.
parishes through programs
situations.
doll
and
invite
friends
and
“I
understand
a
bishop
who
and services. Martin said she
Calling
the
project
an
relatives
to
help
them
take
was
meeting
with
the
pope
customized the sign being
opportunity to raise awareFlat Stanley on adventures
had a Flat Francis and actuheld by the paper doll imness
and
build
Catholic
that
they
photograph
and
ally showed it to Pope Franage of Pope Francis to show
identity
among
the
children,
later
report
on
in
class.
The
cis. He thought it was great,”
an outline of the state of
Martin
said,
“They’ve
taken
project
has
spawned
a
numMartin said.
Georgia and the name of her
Flat
Francis
to
the
beach,
ber
of
variations,
including
“It’s a fun educational
school.
to
the
museum—all
sorts
female
and
ethnic
versions
experience
for all of our
The Flat Francis idea is
of
places
that
their
families
of
the
original
character.
children,
”
Martin
said. “For
borrowed from Flat Stanley

our youngest children, this
may be their introduction to
the pope as the leader of our
faith. They get to learn his
name and what he does and
to learn about past popes.”
Martin said that each
morning the students are
taught either a fun or little
known fact about Pope Francis or a general fact about
the role of the pope in the
Catholic faith.
“I’ve actually learned
some things myself,” Martin
said. “For example, I learned
that when Pope Francis was
a child he had to have part
of a lung removed. That’s a
fact to inspire the children
and help them bravely face
whatever they might have to
go through.”
Three IHM staff members will be traveling to
Philadelphia to see the pope
on his final U.S. stop, during
which he is expected to participate in the World Meeting of Families, a churchsponsored gathering that
takes place once every three
years.
“They won’t get to meet
him individually,” Martin explained. “They will be there
with umpteen thousand
other people, but they will
attend events where the pope
will be present and come
back and tell us about them.”
Pope Francis is scheduled for
two Philadelphia events that
are open to the public, an
“intercultural celebration of
family life” on Sept. 26 and a
mass the following day.

OPINION

The Champion FREE PRESS, FRIDAY, september 18, 2015Page 4A

Changing our opinion about Black males
I recently had the opportunity to attend the 2015 Casino Royal fundraiser by the
DeKalb County Chapter 100
Black Men of America Inc.
This is a 23-year-old organization that seeks to “to
improve the quality of life
in our communities and
enhance education and economic opportunities for all
African Americans.”
In August, more than
250 Black men—politicians,
educators, businessmen
and other community leaders—donned tuxedos for the
black-tie fundraiser, which
raised money for scholarships.
I thought about that event
when I ran across a news
release about a entrepreneur
who asked, “What’s the first
thing that comes to mind

Andrew Cauthen
[email protected]

Managing Editor
@AndrewChampNews

when you think about Black
males in the United States?”
“Too often, the first thing
people conjure up in their
minds is an outdated, negative stereotype,” said Trabian
Shorters, founder and CEO
of BMe Community, a network of all races and genders
committed to building better communities across the

United States inspired by
Black men.
One thing I like about
living in metro Atlanta, and
DeKalb County in particular,
is that I get to meet Black
men who are county commissioners, city councilmen,
attorneys, pastors, principals,
school superintendents,
judges, business owners, engineers, community activists,
policemen, firemen, and, yes,
loving husbands, fathers and
sons.
Many people think about
gangs of teenage males roaming the streets with sagging
pants. Others think about
prisons disproportionately
populated with Black males.
Some think of thugs, homeless men, deadbeat fathers or
uneducated men.
Shorters said society

needs to change its negative
perspective of Black men.
“It’s about recognizing
Black men’s everyday contributions to the well-being of
society; and building America’s future based upon positive values that we all share,”
Shorters said. “In the distorted dialog about race we
forget that we all value good
schools, safe streets, a strong
economy and a healthy environment.”
We can change our perspectives about Black males
by knowing the facts, Shorters said. Are there really
more Black males in colleges
than in prisons? How many
Black men serve the country
in the military? How many
are responsible husbands and
fathers?
The truth may surprise

you.
Shorters said society also
needs to update the narrative about Black men. At
The Champion, we have
participated in the positive
narrative about Black men
by portraying chess masters,
coaches, civic leaders, educators and the like who have
not only served their families
and communities, but have
been an examples to others.
“People only remember
the statistics that reinforce
what they already wanted
to believe, but meaningful
stories and experiences have
the power to change minds,”
Shorters said.
Let’s change our opinions
about Black males by the
learning and sharing of their
positive narratives.

Positive collaboration in DeKalb
This morning, I attended
a Law Enforcement Meet
and Greet at the Division of
Family and Children Services (DFCS) Office. This is
the second annual Meet and
Greet which allows law enforcement officials to collaborate with DFCS employees
and foster parents. Because
this is a state initiative, these
types of events are being
hosted by DFCS agencies in
most Georgia counties. In
DeKalb, however, this type of
collaboration is particularly
groundbreaking.
In recent years, many
DeKalb County residents
have been asked to choose
whether they would like to
remain part of unincorporated DeKalb County or become part of a new city.
Some of DeKalb’s new
cities have chosen public
safety/police as one of the
services they provide their
residents. Because there are
now so many city police precincts, DeKalb Police are not
responsible for policing all
parts of the county.
At the same time, services
such as DFCS remain committed to serving all citizens
of DeKalb, regardless of
incorporation status. How
can the county-wide service
providers maintain a collaborative role with city-specific
service providers? What hap-

pens when a county-wide
system of protocols is not
grandfathered into the establishment of a city system?
How do DFCS workers and
police from various jurisdictions maintain consistent
communication?
Laurence Nelson, County
Director of DFCS, answered
these questions this morning
as he facilitated a discussion between foster parents,
DFCS administrators, DFCS
case workers, various city
police department officers,
DeKalb Police officers, State
Troopers and investigators.
Through the respectful,
thoughtful dialogue, attendees discovered deficit areas
(delays in reaching caseworkers, problems obtaining
911 call reports, need for law
enforcement accompaniment
on DFCS visits) and immediate solutions (DFCS on-call
lists circulated to uniformed
officers, asking dispatch for
information directly, calling
a State Trooper escort if local
police are working an emergency).
This type of collaboration
has not been celebrated in
DeKalb. It should be. With
cityhood ballot questions
and annexations regularly
occurring in DeKalb, we
should expect more of these
types of meetings.
Since we are DeKalb resi-

dents, whether living in a city
or not, we should expect our
county and city agencies to
work together when service
providers find productive
ways to collaborate for the
benefit of our citizens, we
should take that example and
replicate it.

I challenge DeKalb stakeholders to find examples of
inter-city/inner-county collaboration. Demonstrate to
metro-Atlanta that living in
DeKalb is not a contentious
experience. Take a moment
to celebrate people like Laurence Nelson, who do not

get dragged into turf wars,
but fight for the best possible
outcomes for all citizens of
our county.
Allyson Gevertz
DFCS Board of Directors

OPINION

The Champion FREE PRESS, FRIDAY, september 18, 2015

Page 5A

One Man’s Opinion

“People have tremendous
power, more than the average person understands, and
certainly more than even I
understood before I came to
Congress. When any of my
constituents writes me a letter,
I promise you, we’re listening,”
seven-term U.S. Congressman
Charlie Norwood (19412007), who was in the U.S.
House from 1995-2007.
A native of Valdosta, and
later a graduate of Georgia
Southern University and
Georgetown University in
Washington, D.C., U.S. Congressman Charlie Norwood
became a longtime practicing dentist in Augusta. 
Concern for the direction
our nation was taking under
the leadership of then-President Bill Clinton caused
the affable and well-regarded
medical professional to seek
a life in public service and
the halls of our U.S. Congress. 
Norwood was a collegial,
grinning and plain-spoken
politician of the old school,
always enjoying the rigors of
campaigning and never tiring of hearing from his constituents.
Norward served two
Georgia congressional districts during his House tenure, specifically the 9th and
10th. As Georgia Democrats
then still controlled the
governor’s office, General
Assembly and the process
of redistricting, Norwood

Our Jolly Chollie

Bill Crane
[email protected]

Columnist

became a member without a
district on two separate occasions, yet managed solid victories over every challenger
he met.
Barrell-chested and
round-bellied, with matching
red suspenders, Norwood
might appear to those who
did not know him as a living
caricature of the drawling
southern pol. But he was
so much more than that. A
Vietnam era veteran himself,
Norwood never forgot, and
attempted to help our nation
honor the promises made to
our living veterans as well
as their families often left
behind. Due to his years of
work in this regard, the U.S.
Veterans’ Service Center in
Augusta was renamed in his
honor. 
Rolling to victory with the
Red Tide which brought U.S.
House Speaker Newt Gingrich into power, Norwood
was a key voice in convincing

several southern conservative Democrats to switch
parties, among those his delegation seat-mate and close
friend, then 9th District U.S.
Congressman Nathan Deal. 
Deal and the man many
referred to as “Jolly Chollie”
or “ol’ Chollie” became close,
as did their wives, Sandra
and Gloria, who share many
interests and the same birth
date.
Though a tragic and
chronic lung condition practically tied him to an oxygen
tank and wheelchair in his
final years, Norwood still
had plans to seek the office
of governor or U.S. Senate
until his health prevented
him from doing so. 
Gov. Deal shared at an
August tribute to the former
Congressman that his own
late entry into the field in
2010 was in part caused by
long deference to Norwood
and his plans. 
On this night in Augusta,
following a Charlie Norwood
Memorial Golf Classic earlier that same day, a crowd
of 200-plus gathered to pay
tribute to Norwood and raise
funds for two of his favored
causes, veterans (Augusta
Warrior Project) and conservative political causes and
candidates (True American
Principles Initiative PAC).
It was a night of unity for
the crowd, predominantly
from Augusta/Richmond
County and neighboring

Columbia County, but in addition to Georgia’s governor,
there to regale with tales of
Norwood legend and lore
were Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle,
Georgia Secretary of State
Brian Kemp, Augusta Mayor
Hardie Davis and four other
current and former members
of Georgia’s Congressional
delegation, all on hand to pay
tribute.
Charlie Norwood was not
perfect, but he was a patriot,
a happy warrior, a man who
believed strongly in principles such as honesty, integrity, faith and loyalty. His
style of leadership is the kind
which makes it possible to
work across the aisle, even if
during business hours you
were fighting the other side
like hell. On the evening of
9/11, less than 12 hours after the horrific attacks and
murder of several thousand
American civilians, Norwood joined Congressional
leaders on the steps of the
U.S. Capitol for a bipartisan
showing of resolve that these
acts would not stand.
As the event came to an
end, members of Congress
broke out into an impromptu
and a capella rendition of
God Bless America. It is the
last recollection I have, in
recent history, of our nation
appearing and feeling united
as one. As we ended our first
annual Charlie Norwood
Memorial Gala, the audience
there joined me in singing

a similar tribute. And I’m
pretty sure that there was at
least one listener in heaven
taking that all in and smiling
down broadly.
God bless you, Charlie.
Bill Crane also serves as a
political analyst and commentator for Channel 2’s Action
News, WSB-AM News/Talk
750 and now 95.5 FM, as well
as a columnist for The Champion, Champion Free Press
and Georgia Trend. Crane is
a DeKalb native and business
owner, living in Scottdale. You
can reach him or comment on
a column at bill.csicrane@
gmail.com. 

F ree P ress
Let Us Know What You Think!
THE CHAMPION FREE PRESS encourages opinions from its readers. Please
write to us and express your views. Letters
should be brief, typewritten and contain
the writer’s name, address and telephone
number for verification. All letters will be
considered for publication.
Send Letters To Editor, The Champion Free Press, P.
O. Box 1347, Decatur, GA 30031-1347; Send email
to [email protected] • FAX To: (404)
370-3903 Phone: (404) 373-7779 . Deadline for news
releases and advertising: Thursday, one week prior
to publication date.
EDITOR’S NOTE: The opinions written by columnists and contributing editors do not necessarily
reflect the opinions of the editor or publishers. The
Publisher reserves the right to reject or cancel any
advertisement at any time. The Publisher is not
responsible for unsolicited manuscripts.

Publisher:
John Hewitt
Chief Financial Officer:
Dr. Earl D. Glenn
Managing Editor:
Andrew Cauthen
Production Manager:
Kemesha Hunt
Photographer:
Travis Hudgons
Staff Reporters:
Carla Parker, Ashley Oglesby
The Champion Free Press is published
each Friday by ACE III Communications,
Inc., • 114 New Street, Suite E, Decatur,
GA. 30030 • Phone (404) 373-7779.

www.championnewspaper.com
DISPLAY ADVERTISING
(404) 373-7779 x 110

Statement from the
publisher
We sincerely appreciate the
discussion surrounding this and any
issue of interest to DeKalb County.
The Champion was founded in 1991
expressly to provide a forum for
discourse for all community residents
on all sides of an issue. We have no
desire to make the news only to
report news and opinions to effect
a more educated citizenry that will
ultimately move our community
forward. We are happy to present
ideas for discussion; however,
we make every effort to avoid
printing information submitted to
us that is known to be false and/or
assumptions penned as fact.

local

Page 6A The Champion FREE PRESS, FRIDAY, september 18, 2015

Brandon Little
Brandon Little of Avondale Estates is an example of
one giving back to to community.
The 32-year-old Cedar
Grove High School alum was
a competitive swimmer in
his younger days and now
teaches Black youth how to
swim. Little is a swim coach
with Healthy Lifestyles
Healthy Kids youth sports
organization and holds swim
classes at Beulah Baptist
Church in Decatur.
The founder of the youth
sports organization, Jabari
King, was Little’s youth swim
coach.
“I reconnected with

Jabari King and now I coach
with him,” Little said.
Little has been swimming since he was 8 years
old with the Brook Glen
Dolphins, which is now the

Lithonia Dolphins. He also
swam for the city of Atlanta
Dolphins before joining the
swim team at Cedar Grove
High School.
In his senior year in 2001
he won the DeKalb County
title in the 200 Freestyle. He
went on to Florida A&M
University where he became
a member of the swim team.
“When I graduated [from
FAMU] I held six swimming
records but now I hold five,”
he said.
Little qualifed for the
U.S. Open Swimming Championships, but his focus was
on perusing an engineering
career. He is now an engineer

by profession and a volunteer
swim coach. He is also the
assistant swim coach at Stephenson High School.
Little said swimming is
important for children because not only does it keep
them active but it teaches life
skills as well.
“Swimming is a very
technical sport, you have to
pay attention to details and
I believe that attention to
details not only helped me
become a great swimmer but
it also helped me become a
great engineer,” he said. “I tell
parents all the time that the
same stress that I had taking
a major exam is the stress

that I had at a swim meet.
The more I was exposed to
those very stressful situations
the more I could cope with
it.”
Little is also a math tutor
and helped students pass the
Georgia High School Graduation Test. He also volunteers
through his fraternity Omega
Psi Phi.
“If people don’t volunteer, then you’ll have a bunch
of kids who wouldn’t know
the things that you know,” he
said. “I was a product of people volunteering for me and I
felt that I can make that same
commitment to other kids.”

If you would like to nominate someone to be considered as a future Champion of the Week, please contact Andrew Cauthen
at [email protected] or at (404) 373-7779, ext. 117.

Changes made on
Decatur City Commission
by Carla Parker
[email protected]
The Decatur City Commission elected a new mayor
pro tem and filled the vacated District 2 seat at its Sept. 8
regular meeting.
The commission elected
Commissioner Patti Garrett
as mayor pro tem. Garrett
replaces former Mayor Pro
Tem Kecia Cunningham,
who resigned from her District 2 seat to take a job out
of state.
“Thank you to my fellow
commissioners and to the
mayor for this honor,” Garrett said. “Kecia Cunningham’s years of service on the
city commission contributed
greatly and positively to the
Decatur we live in today. I
have some big shoes to fill.”
Bill Bolling was appointed by the commission
to finish out the remaining
four months of Cunningham’s term as District 2 commissioner. The seat is up for
election in November however, Bolling will not run for
election.

Garrett

“We are fortunate to have
Bill Bolling, a pillar of our
community and longtime
Decatur resident, agree to
serve alongside us for the
next few months on the
Decatur City Commission,”
Mayor Jim Baskett said.
“Commissioner Bolling has
had a long career in community service and I am confident he will do a great job as
a city commissioner through
the end of the year.”
Garrett, a resident of
Decatur since 2001, was first
elected to the city commis-

sion in 2009. She served as
chairwoman of the Decatur
Tour of Homes committee,
house captain on the Martin
Luther King Jr. Service Project, a board member of the
Oakhurst Community Garden Project and as secretary
of the Oakhurst Neighborhood Association.
Garrett is also a 2012
graduate of Leadership
DeKalb, a member of the
2010 class of the Regional
Leadership Institute and
serves on the Environmental
and Natural Resources Committee of the Georgia Municipal Association. She teaches
nutrition at Georgia State
University, works as a clinical
dietitian at Emory University
Health Services, and is active
in the Atlanta Local Food
Initiative network.
Bolling founded the Atlanta Community Food Bank
in 1979 and was executive director until earlier this year.
He also served as director of
community ministries for St.
Luke’s Episcopal Church in
Atlanta.

DeKalb increases
transparency, communication
with county residents
DeKalb County has initiated a new effort to
enhance the relationship the county has with its
residents. DeKalb County is now using OpenGov, a
financial analysis platform that provides residents access to the county’s finances.
Additionally, DeKalb County is inviting residents
to receive its news releases, which detail the latest
news and updates to local news media, directly.
“For the last two years, we’ve been steady in pushing for more government transparency,” said, interim
DeKalb County CEO Lee May. “Our partnership with
OpenGov is an open invitation to DeKalb residents
to learn how the county is investing their tax funds,
something they have a right to know, and we’re inviting residents to receive our press releases directly so
they can learn about news and opportunities from the
source.”
DeKalb is the first county in the state to use OpenGov technology. OpenGov currently works with other
local governing entities in the metro Atlanta area, including Alpharetta, Dunwoody and Milton.
With OpenGov, residents have instant access to
the county’s budget and historical financial information, dating back to 2012, in a digital format.
Residents can explore revenue and expenditure
trends and review the data through a variety of graphs
and filters, all the way down to specific revenues or expense types. With social sharing features built into the
platform, residents can instantly share data on social
media or contact the county with additional questions. 
DeKalb’s OpenGov profile can be accessed at
www.dekalbcountyga.opengov.com.

#ItsInTheChampion

local

AroundDeKalb

The Champion FREE PRESS, FRIDAY, september 18, 2015Page 7A

Atlanta

• Oct. 2–The club will host an open house, reception and musical extravaganza for parents and
supporters from the community.
• Oct. 3–Basketball and cheerleading tournament
• Oct. 4–Col. Brad Bailey, chief secretary of the
Salvation Army Southern Territory, will preach
and recognize members who have served faithfully for more than 25 years at the corps. There
also will be the unveiling of a “Wall of Honor”
board.
The club is located at 3500 Sherrydale Lane,
Decatur. For more information, call (404) 4862870 or (404) 227-2059.

Church to celebrate 60th anniversary

Local organization to host Halloween
inspired family day
Ladybug Events and Homestead Atlanta have
teamed up to bring a family enrichment program
designed to spark and nurture the seeds of stewardship in a child’s heart and mind.
The organizations are inviting the public to
gather on Oct. 20 in their garden to create costume accessories using local chicken feathers,
paint jack o’lanterns on rocks and drink spiced
apple cider.
The event will take place from 4:15 until 5:30
p.m. at the Lake Claire Community Landtrust,
280 Arizona Ave., NE Atlanta.
All ages are welcome.

Brookhaven
City to host summit on tree ordinance
Brookhaven Community Development Department will host a Brookhaven 101 and a Builder & Developer Summit Sept. 24 at Brookhaven
City Hall. Builders and developers working in
Brookhaven can attend the Builder & Developer
Summit from 9 to 11 a.m. Later that day, residents can attend the city’s third Brookhaven 101
from 6 to 8 p.m. Both sessions will focus on tree
ordinance updates. Brookhaven City Hall is located at 4362 Peachtree Road. For more information,
contact the Community Development Department at (404) 637-0500.

Decatur
Peachcrest Corps and Boys and Girls Club to
celebrate 40th anniversary
The Atlanta Peachcrest Corps and Boys and
Girls Club will hold its 40th anniversary celebration Oct. 2-4.
The theme for the weekend is “Singing Ebenezer as the Years Roll On,” based on the scripture from I Samuel 7:12.
Events during the celebration include:

Peace Lutheran Church, 1679 Columbia
Drive, Decatur, will celebrate its 60th anniversary
on Saturday, Oct. 3.
The event will include a gospel seeds-style
evangelistic neighborhood visitation at 11 a.m.,
and a choir celebration at 1 p.m.
From 2 to 4 p.m., several events are planned,
including a Feast of the States food festival, Charlie Elliott Center birds of prey presentation, youth
servant event cutting swatches for quilting and
fellowship.
At 4 p.m. there will be an ice cream and popcorn social and viewing of a documentary on
Rosa Young, the Black champion of the faith who
opened the doors of the Lutheran Church and established congregations and schools in Camden,
Ala., including Concordia College in Selma, Ala.
There also will be a 60th anniversary worship
celebration on Sunday, Oct. 4, at 10:15 a.m., featuring the choir and liturgical dancers. A brunch
will follow the service.
For more information, contact the church at
(404) 289-1474.

Pinelake
City to host 15th annual LakeFest
The city of Pine Lake will host its annual fall
festival, LakeFest, Oct. 3 and 4. LakeFest is two
days of art, music, food and family fun on the
shores of Pine Lake, with handmade art and crafts
by 45 local and regional artist vendors, live music
by two dozen talented musicians, and poetry by
Georgia writers. Festival hours are 10 a.m. to 7
p.m. on Saturday and noon to 6 p.m. on Sunday.
Admission and parking are free.
Activities include a kids’ carnival, chalk art
and sand sculpture contests, a pet show, and
workshops on “Art of Bonsai” and “Express Mosaic.” This year’s special guests, “The Seed and
Feed Marching Abominables,” will lead “Floatzilla!”, a floating parade with wildly decorated water
craft on the lake. The live music schedule covers a
wide range, including “The Georgia Flood” rocking into Saturday night and a “Cosmic Gospel
Hour” on Sunday morning. Headliner Michelle
Malone will close the festival on Sunday.
A complete schedule is available at www.
pinelakefest.com. For more information, email
[email protected]

Stone Mountain

Woman’s club announces scholarship
Applications are now being accepted for the
GFWC Stone Mountain Woman’s Club’s Women
of Empowerment scholarship. The $750 scholarship was established to empower deserving women by furthering their education. To request an
application or to receive additional information,
contact Kathy Gallo at [email protected]
or (770) 496-0481. Completed applications must
be received by Oct. 31.

Countywide

County recreation department announces
youth basketball, cheerleading registration
Registration is now open for DeKalb County
Recreation, Parks and Cultural Affairs’ youth basketball and cheerleading programs.
The registration deadline for basketball and
cheerleading is Saturday, Oct. 31. The season begins Dec. 12. Birth certificates are required to register; age control date is Dec. 31 for placement.
Registration fees include uniforms for boys
and girls ages 6-18 years old, and are $65 for full
basketball uniform; $60 for new cheerleading
uniforms a $25 for those returning uniforms; and
$25 for the co-ed instructional league.
For more information, or to register in person, contact any of the following recreation centers:
Browns Mill Recreation Center, 5101 Browns
Mill Road, Lithonia, (770) 593-5874; Exchange
Recreation Center, 2771 Columbia Drive, Decatur, phone, (404) 687-3430; Gresham Recreation
Center, 3113 Gresham Road, Atlanta, (404) 2444890; Hamilton Recreation Center
3263 Chapel Street, (404) 508-7565; Lucious
Sanders Recreation Center, 2484 Bruce Street,
Lithonia, (770) 482-0408; Mason Mill Recreation
Center, 1340-B McConnell Drive, Decatur, (404)
679-1349; Midway Recreation Center, 3181 Midway Rd, Decatur, (404) 286-3328; N. H. Scott
Recreation Center, 2230 Tilson Road, Decatur,
(404) 687-4071; Redan Recreation Center, 1839
Phillips Road, Lithonia, (770) 484-2679; Tobie
Grant Recreation Center, 644 Parkdale Drive,
Scottdale, (404) 508-7594; and Tucker Recreation
Center, 4898 LaVista Road, Tucker, GA 30084,
(770) 270-6226.
All payments must be made payable to
DeKalb County Recreation, Parks and Cultural
Affairs by cashier’s check or money order; cash is
not accepted.
To register online, and to learn more about
DeKalb County RPCA, visit www.dekalbcountyga.gov/parks or follow @DeKalbRPCA on Facebook and Twitter.
Follow news from DeKalb County at @
ItsInDeKalb on Twitter and sign up for additional
updates at www.onedekalb.com or send a text
message with the word ONEDEKALB to 22828
(message and data rates may apply). 

local

Page 8A The Champion FREE PRESS, FRIDAY, september 18, 2015

Brookhaven to build park along creek
by Carla Parker
[email protected]
A new park is coming to
Brookhaven to help revitalize
parts of Peachtree Creek.
The Brookhaven City
Council Sept. 8 unanimously
approved a resolution declaring the council’s intent to
create Peachtree Creek Greenway at Brookhaven Linear
Park.
“We tried to do this last
time, but we were blocked
because of what we thought
were restrictions based upon
having leaps and bounds,
legal descriptions of the
property,” Councilman Joe
Gebbia said. “It is an important step forward as we work
toward a momentous park
for Brookhaven.”
According to the resolution, the city owns or will
become owners of certain
property along the path and
floodplain of the North Fork
of Peachtree Creek inside the
city and will create a linear
park—Peachtree Creek Greenway at Brookhaven—along
the property.
The resolution states

that the park will be part of
a larger regional project to
establish a continuous area of
park land along the banks of
the north fork of Peachtree
Creek.
“This park will eventually connect to the [Atlanta] Beltline on the Fulton
County side, and then it’s
going to extend from there
on the Chamblee side probably down to Mercer [University] and other locations,”
Gebbia said. “Those links
will be called the Peachtree
Greenway at whatever that
location happens to be. This
is a regional perspective and
it reflects in the name.”
The north fork of
Peachtree Creek begins
around the intersection
of I-85 and Ga. 400 near
Lindbergh Drive, and goes
through Brookhaven and
Century Center. The idea of
the linear park came after a
group called the North Fork
Connectors that wanted to
revitalize parts of Peachtree
Creek with walking paths
and bike trails.
Councilman Bates Mattison said the park will be

transformational for the city
and commended North Fork
Connectors for bringing the
idea to city officials.
“It’s certainly indicative
of local control,” Mattison
said. “I think if you look at
the creation of the city of
Brookhaven it empowers citizens to come forward with
great idea like this, work with
Joe and your council members and get it done, and
then have the city create it.”
Mayor Rebecca Chase
Williams said the park will
be a legacy for the city.
“We’re going to rescue
this creek that has a long,
great history,” she said.
“We’re going to revive it and
make it live. I think it will
eventually be a beautiful
property.”
Gebbia said this will be
the first park in District 4 of
the city and will benefit the
city and the community.
“[This park] is important because professionals
that have come to see it have
said that every dollar that we
invest we will get $9 back,”
he said. “It’s already having
a physiological impact on

A linear park will be built near the north fork of Peachtree Creek. Photo
from northforkconnectors.org

what’s happening along the
Buford Highway corridor.
This is the first step the city

has taken that will have a
major impact.”

School corruption case goes to state Supreme Court
by Andrew Cauthen
[email protected]
The Georgia Supreme
Court heard arguments
in the on-again, off-again
DeKalb County school corruption case Sept. 15.
Former schools construction chief Pat Reid, her
ex-husband Tony Pope, an
architect, and former school
superintendent Crawford
Lewis were indicted by a
grand jury and charged with
violating Georgia’s Racketeer
Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) and
felony theft by taking related
to some school construction
projects.
In a plea agreement with
prosecutors, Lewis agreed to
serve as a key witness for the
state against Reid and Pope
to avoid jail time. As part
of the plea agreement, District Attorney Robert James
agreed to dismiss the felony
charges against Lewis in exchange for his guilty plea to
one misdemeanor count of
hindering and obstructing
a law enforcement officer.
In the agreement, prosecutors would recommend a

sentence of 12 months probation, a $500 fine, and 240
hours of community service.
At Lewis’ sentencing
hearing, however, former
DeKalb County Superior
Court Judge Cynthia Becker
rejected the agreement and
sentenced Lewis to serve a
year behind bars. Lewis immediately was taken into
custody and Becker refused
to consider bond. He spent
three days in jail before being
released on bond after his
attorney filed an emergency
motion in the Court of Appeals.
When the Georgia Court
of Appeals reversed Becker’s
decision to sentence Lewis,
Becker ordered new trials for
Reid and Pope.
Lewis’ attorneys and
prosecutors argued that
Becker had accepted the
prosecutors’ sentence recommendation based on the
negotiated guilty plea agreement, and that Lewis was entitled to enforcement of the
agreement.
In an amicus brief requested by the Supreme
Court of Georgia, attorney
Sarah Gerwig-Moore of the

Mercer Habeas Project and
attorney J. Scott Key stated,
“Because trial courts–not
the parties themselves–are
vested with the discretion in
sentencing, a trial court may
[on its own] invalidate a plea
agreement. This is especially
true where a trial court bases

its decision on a finding that
a defendant has breached the
terms of his guilty plea.”
In this case, “the trial
court rejected a recommendation made after the
respondent testified because
the court did not find his trial testimony to be credible,”

the attorneys argued. “While
the rules of contract law apply to plea agreements, plea
agreements cannot abrogate
the right of the trial judge to
exercise the sentencing function of the court.”

Pet of the Week

Meet Nina ID# 29260087 princess of all things cute!
Along with Nina’s floppy bunny ears comes a lovable,
goofy personality that is hard not to love. She is a
young gal that will be able to keep up with any family.
She loves to play and would really enjoy a yard to do
zoomies in. She gets along great with other dogs and
probably would enjoy having a dog friend as her canine
companion in her new home. If you have a big heart
and a little room in your home; come meet Nina at the
DeKalb shelter!
If you adopt a pet in September during our “Fall in
Love” special; their adoption is FREE including their
spay/neuter, vaccines and microchip all at no additional
charge. If you would like more information about Nina
please email [email protected]
or call (404) 294-2165. All potential adopters will be
screened to ensure Nina goes to a good home.

local

The Champion FREE PRESS, FRIDAY, september 18, 2015Page 9A

Crime Briefs
Fourth county watershed
employee sentenced to
jail for overtime scheme
DeKalb County Magistrate Judge Juwayn Haddad
accepted a plea agreement
from the fourth DeKalb
County Watershed Department employee charged with
bilking DeKalb County out
of thousands of dollars in
fraudulent overtime pay.
Andre Cofer, a former
watershed crew supervisor,
was sentenced to 15 years
with two years to serve behind bars for a single theft
charge. As a condition of
probation, Cofer must pay
$5,000 in restitution and
complete 100 hours of community service. 
Earlier this year, former
DeKalb Watershed employ-

State representative
to host open forum on
cityhood
The Concerned Citizens for Cityhood of South
DeKalb Inc. will hold an
open forum hosted by state
Rep. Rahn Mayo to address
questions from the community regarding cityhood in
south DeKalb County.
The forum will present
varying viewpoints on forming a city and there will be a
panel discussion to address
questions about the proposed city of Greenhaven.
The event will take place
on Wednesday, Sept. 23, at
7 p.m. in the Community
Achievement Center, located at 4522 Flat Shoals
Parkway, Decatur.
The Concerned Citizens for Cityhood of South
DeKalb Inc. is a nonprofit
corporation formed to educate citizens about forming
a city in southern DeKalb
County.

ees Cynthia Hall and Jarvis
Foster were sentenced to 15
years, to serve two in custody. Another defendant,
Anthony Lee, was sentenced
to 15 years to serve one in
custody.
According to the District
Attorney’s Office’s investigation, Hall, who was a payroll
technician in the watershed
department, manipulated
the timekeeping system by
directing large amounts
of overtime pay to various
employees, including Cofer,
who never worked the overtime hours. Hall would then
receive kick-backs ranging
from $700-$3,000 biweekly.

“An internal audit revealed overtime discrepancies which led authorities
to Hall and others involved.
Our investigation showed
that Hall led an elaborate
and illegal scheme to line her
pockets with tax payer dollars,” said District Attorney
Robert James. “Throughout
2011, Mr. Cofer deliberately
misrepresented hours actually worked in overtime to
essentially commit theft
against DeKalb County.”
Cofer was immediately
taken into custody following
his guilty plea. 
“Today’s sentence should
send a resounding message

that public corruption will
not be tolerated in this county,” James said. 
Haddad is sitting for
DeKalb Superior Court
Judge Asha Jackson.

Suspect arrested,
charged with murder by
strangulation
The DeKalb County
Sheriff ’s Office Fugitive Unit
has arrested Derrick Ramon
Walker in connection with
the Sept. 8 death of Lataousha Tashan Holden in Decatur.
The warrant, issued

on Sept. 9, charges Walker
with felony murder and alleges he caused the death
of Holden by strangulation.
Sheriff ’s Office Investigators
made the arrest on Sept. 11
without incident and transported Walker to the DeKalb
County Jail.
STONE MOUNTAIN
VILLAGE
CITY-WIDE YARD SALE
922 Main St. behind Gazebo
Saturday, October 17
8:30 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Setup begins 7:30 a.m.
on day of sale
For info call City Hall
(770) -498-8984

local

Page 10A The Champion FREE PRESS, FRIDAY, september 18, 2015

DeKalb PAL Plus:

Police building positive
relationships with youth
by Carla Parker
[email protected]
In 2008, the DeKalb
County Police Department
launched its Police Athletic
League Plus program for
youth.
However, the program
did not take off as expected.
“They tried to get it going, but it wasn’t a successful
start and they started over
again in 2010,” said Detective
Lesa Robinson. “We’ve been
booming since then.”
An independent 501(c)
(3) nonprofit, the DeKalb
County PAL Plus unit is
made up of six officers who
use educational, athletic and
recreational activities to create trust and understanding
sultant screened applicants
between police officers and
and provided an unranked
youth.
list of qualified candidates
As a chapter of the Nato the board. The board setional
Police Athletic League
lected and interviewed eight
Inc.,
PAL
includes among its
candidates. The community
traditional
activities sports
panel provided feedback on a
and
mentoring,
but DeKalb
short list of those candidates.
also
offers
programs
for arts
The board conducted an adand
culture,
education,
preditional round of candidate
vention
and
charity—that’s
interviews,” he said.
the reason for the “plus.”
Goebel said the inter“When we started in
views have been completed
2010
it was more of just a
and the board is now vetting
mentoring
program, but now
the candidates. The board
we’ve
branched
off into athcould name up to three finalletics
and
our
summer
acadists, he said. He said once the
emy,
”
Robinson
said.
finalists are announced, the
Programs under PAL
board will have to wait 14
Plus
include mural arts,
days to approve a contract,
a
junior
police academy,
meaning that a new superinGEES—Gentlemen
Exemtendent could be in place by
plifying
Excellent
Strength,
October.
He said, “We are hopeful GEMS—Girls Exemplifying
Magnificent Strength, and
that we will be able to anGREAT— Gang Resistance
nounce our finalists by the
Education and Training,
end of the month.”
which is a six-week program.
Goebel added, “Our vi“We’re trained in Nashsion is a superintendent that
ville
to get certified as
will challenge every student
GREAT
instructors, and it’s
to succeed by providing a
basically
an anti-bullying
rigorous, engaging and auworkshop,
” Robinson said.
thentic learning experiences
“All
the
schools
that request
delivered by highly qualified,
us
love
the
program
and recaring adults in safe and inquest
that
we
come
back.
”
viting schools. Our highest
Nearly
50
children
parpriority is staying squarely
ticipated in the summer
focused on the needs of our
academy, which allows up to
students.”
75 participants. Other programs average 50 students

City schools of Decatur
closer to determining
superintendent
by Ashley Oglesby
[email protected]
City Schools of Decatur
Board Chairman Garrett
Goebel said the board is
narrowing its choices on the
next superintendent.
In March Superintendent Phyllis Edwards announced her intent to resign
but is staying until the board
names her successor. Edwards’ contract ends Dec.
31.
Goebel said the board
has interviewed eight candidates for the position.
“Our process reflects
our community’s values and
has benefited from the services of a search consultant.
However, the selection and
appointment of a superintendent is the responsibility of
the board,” Goebel said.
He said, “In consultation
with our search consultant,
the board determined a community input process leading to the development of a
leadership profile. The board
also appointed a community
interview panel to ensure
that community input continues to be received through
the search process.”
The leadership profile
was used to advertise the
superintendent position, according to Goebel. “Our con-

Nearly 50 children participated in the summer academy this past summer. Photo by Carla Parker

participating during the
school year.
“The programs have gotten stronger, the unit has gotten larger and the [number]
of people that we can reach—
that number is larger as well,”
Robinson said.
The summer academy
includes field trips for the
children and local guest
speakers who share their
skills with the children. Robinson said PALS Plus also
takes advantage of the different units within the police
department.
“We’ve had our aerial
support come out and show
them about flying a helicopter because we have quite a
few kids who are interested
in becoming police officers,” she said. “For them to
interact with the officers,
especially in a positive way,
is really neat for them to see
how the profession works
and if it’s something they really want to do. We’ve had
our S.W.A.T. unit come out,
our K-9 unit come out, our
bomb squad come out and
the kids were able to see the
robot and the uniforms and
different stuff and they really
appreciate that.”
With the recent news
coverage of police-involved
shootings of unarmed
Blacks, Robinson said it has

not been a difficult task to
give the children a positive
image of police officers.
“We explain to them up
front that [we have] an open
door policy and if they have
questions about anything
they can come to us and
talk to us about it,” she said.
“When they do have questions, …we’re here to answer
those and help them understand that it is OK to interact
with a police officer and that
law enforcement is a great
profession. Their mindset
has totally changed because
they’re seeing us being just
like them and they get that.”
With the growth of the
unit and the related programs, Robinson said the
staff is focused on finding a
permanent facility.
“We believe we can become a larger and stronger
unit with a facility,” she
said. “We borrow buildings
throughout the community
to host our programs. Without [a building] it’s kind of a
challenge, it’s very difficult.
We can have the after-school
programs, and we can have—
during the summer—somewhere for the kids to come,
and we can service more instead of having limited time
and space that it accessible
to us.”

local

The Champion FREE PRESS, FRIDAY, september 18, 2015Page 11A

Georgia Perimeter College Interim President Rob Watts.

Georgia State University President Mark
Becker.

Students, teachers, staff and supporters sit in the stands of the Clarkston campus gymnasium.

Convocation kicks off fall classes and merger
by Ashley Oglesby
[email protected]
This year marks the
50th anniversary of Georgia
Perimeter College (GPC),
which opened in 1964 as
DeKalb College. It is also
GPC’s final year of operation
before consolidating into
Georgia State University
(GSU).
On Sept. 11 the college
celebrated its final convocation with faculty and staff
dressed in school spirit apparel and featured Georgia
State University’s president
Mark Becker, who will serve
as the new president of the
institution, as a speaker for
the event.
On January 6 it was announced that the GPC campuses will become a component of the Georgia State,
still maintaining its own
mission, degrees, and admittance requirements, separate
from that of the main campus.
The consolidation is
expected to take a year to
complete
Becker said this is a not
a turnover or takeover “we’re
becoming one.”
Georgia Perimeter College was the first and only
public two-year college in
the state controlled by a local
school district. The college
joined the University System
of Georgia 22 years later, and
was renamed GPC in 1997.
Since its inception GPC
has grown to include five
campuses—Alpharetta,
Clarkston, Decatur, Dunwoody and Newton County—and has grown from
763 enrolled students at
its founding, to more than

21,000 current students. The
college is also the state university system’s largest online
program.
GPC Interim President
Rob Watts said, “Georgia
State last week was recognized as being number five
in innovative institutions in
the entire country, number
five. We are in very, very,
very good hands.”
Mergers have been a
key goal of Georgia system
Chancellor Hank Huckaby’s
since he took the job in
2011. With the Kennesaw
and Southern Polytechnic
merger, the number of public
colleges in the state will be
reduced to 30 from 35 when
he took office.
The Georgia system
makes its decision to merge
institutions based on a combination of qualitative and
quantitative factors, which
the board has publicly boiled
down to a half-dozen “principles for consolidation.”
The six principles used
in assessing potential consolidations are to: increase
opportunities to raise education attainment levels, improve accessibility, regional
identity, and compatibility;
avoid duplication of academic programs, create significant potential for economies of scale and scope,
enhance regional economic
development and streamline
administrative services while
maintaining or improving
service level and quality.
Becker said of the GPC
merger, “As we come together as one university the potential for the future is even
greater than we have done
already, in 50 years at [GPC]
and 100 years in downtown

Atlanta. So imagine the possibilities.”
GPC and GSU have a
long history together.
Becker said Georgia State
University enrolls approximately 25,000 undergraduates each year. “More than 20
percent of the students pursuing a baccalaureate degree
at Georgia State University
started at Georgia Perimeter
College,” he said.
Becker added, “What we
have in front of us is one of
the most incredible opportunities for any institution
in this land and that is to
show this county that students from any background
regardless of income, regard-

less of birth they can be successful at high rates.”
According to Becker if
you’re born in the top quarter of economic distribution
in this country “you’re pretty
much going to college and
you’re pretty much going to
graduate.”
Becker said, “If you were
born in the bottom quarter
of this country you got less
than a 10 percent chance of
going to college. That gap between ‘haves and have not’ is
not sustainable if we’re going
to have one of the greatest
nations in the world. Most
importantly for those students who are not born into
the upper class, getting a de-

gree does make a difference
in their lives.”
Currently, Georgia State
University graduates 1,700
more students per year than
it did five years ago according to Becker.
He said, “Because of the
changes that we’ve been able
to implement, the advances
that we’ve been able to make
in supporting our students,
that’s over 1700 lives made
dramatically better every
year.”
Becker said merging with
GPC will increase the college’s reach.

Tuesdays

10 a.m. – 11 a.m.
Exchange Park Recreation Center
2771 Columbia Dr., Decatur
4 p.m. – 6 p.m.
Mainstreet Community Assoc.
5001 Mainstreet Park Dr.
Stone Mountain

Wednesdays

10 a.m. – 11 a.m.
Hairston Lake Apartments
1023 North Hairston Road
Stone Mountain
12 p.m. – 1 p.m.
Spring Chase II
4947 Memorial Drive
Stone Mountain
4 p.m. – 6 p.m.
Downtown Lithonia
6861 Main Street

Thursdays

11 a.m. – 12 p.m.
Bethesda Cathedral Church
1989 Austin Drive, Decatur
4 p.m. – 6 p.m.
Midway Recreation Center
3181 Midway Rd., Decatur

DeKalb Mobil
e
Farmers Ma
rket
Dates and
Times
Thru Oct. 2
3

What is a Mobile Farmers Market?
A Mobile Market is a farmers market on wheels. It brings fresh and affordably
priced fruits and vegetables to your community.
The Mobile Market also provides food demonstrations and recipes.

Cash, Credit, Debit, and EBT cards are accepted.
For more information, call DeKalb County Extension at 404-298-4080

Fridays

9 a.m. – 11 a.m.
DeKalb County Extension
4380 Memorial Dr. Decatur

Made possible with funding from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

local

Page 12A The Champion FREE PRESS, FRIDAY, september 18, 2015

DeKalb Strong to host fundraiser, forums

by Carla Parker
[email protected]

While cityhood proponents from the Tucker and
LaVista Hills areas are working to gain more support from
voters, opponents are pounding the pavement as well.
DeKalb Strong will host
a fundraising event on Sept.
20, and two forums on Sept.
30 and Oct. 13. The group of
“engaged citizens from across
DeKalb” opposes the LaVista
Hills and Tucker cityhood referendums on the November
General Election ballot.
“The cityhood movement,
as it has currently unfolded, is
bad policy with huge consequences for schools, quality of DeKalb Strong representatives have attended various events speaking out against cityhood. Photo from
life, and taxes in all of DeKalb DeKalbStrong.com.
County,” the group states on
“The mayor of a city
ment. While some DeKalb
go away. It will still be inits website. “Cityhood has
is the same as the CEO of
residents believe cityhood is
volved in your life day in and
failed as a solution to DeKalb the better option to gain local DeKalb County,” Erye said.
day out.”
problems. We support smart
“You’ve got a council as a
control and have better govOpposition to cityhood is
reforms that actually address
ernment, others say a new city commission, a city manager
more visible in the proposed
the root of the problem inis a new layer of government. as a county manager, a city
LaVista Hills, specifically in
stead of adding extra layers of
clerk as the county clerk and
One of those people inthe North Druid Hills area
government.”
it goes on down the line. Basi- where multiple homes have
cluded former Brookhaven
The cityhood movement
cally, you’re stacking another
city council member Jim
yard signs opposing the city.
has grown in the last decade
Eyre, who expressed that sen- layer of bureaucracy on what
Allen Venet, co-chairman
mostly because of allegations
timent at a voter’s information is already there and the layer
of LaVista Hills ‘YES,’ said
corruption in county govern- meeting in May.
that is already there will not
his message to doubters is to

“simply look around.”
“Compare the way the
existing cities, old and new,
provide local government
services with the way things
are handled in unincorporated DeKalb,” he said. “The
contrast is more stark all the
time. The existing cities are
not perfect, but perfect is not
on the ballot. Our residents
have a clear choice between
the way cities operate and the
inefficiency and corruption
that is rampant in the county
administration.”
DeKalb Strong’s fundraising event will be Sept.
20, from 1 to 4 p.m. at 1364
Rainier Falls Drive Northeast
in Atlanta.
State Sen. Elena Parent
and Reps. Scott Holcomb,
Michelle Henson and Mary
Margaret Oliver will sponsor
a legislators forum Sept. 30, 7
p.m. at Lakeside High School.
DeKalb Strong will participate
in a Q&A session at Laurel
Ridge Shamrock Civic Association’s Oct. 13 meeting at
7 p.m. at Druid Hills Middle
School. For more information, visit www.dekalbstrong.
com.

Because you get
what you pay for.

That’s why I invested in ENERGY STAR®
appliances and received rebates in return.
Thanks to the money saving tips on the Georgia Power website, I learned exactly how to turn my renovation into a reward.
First, I got $50 for taking advantage of the Georgia Power Refrigerator Recycling Program. Then, I got a rebate for
purchasing ENERGY STAR® certified appliances, and since these appliances use 10 to 50 percent less energy than
standard models, I get the benefit of a lower monthly bill. For more information on tips and rebates, visit georgiapower.com/save.
Certain restrictions apply. Must be a Georgia Power customer. Rebate available through November 30, 2014.
Customer must submit receipt/invoice for the ENERGY STAR® appliance with the rebate form.

In

local

The Champion FREE PRESS, FRIDAY, september 18, 2015Page 13A

WEEK

Pictures

Scores of sliders slipped down 1,000 feet of slick vinyl during Slide the City in Decatur Sept. 12. The event returned to Decatur after being cut short by a major water main break in June.
Photos by Travis Hudgons

Flags in Avondale Estates remind passersby of the 9/11 terrorist attack in 2001. Photo by
John Hewitt

DeKalb County’s Fernbank LINKS robotics team held a kickoff in Marietta for the Georgia
BEST robotics season. Photo by Andrew Cauthen

Photos brought to you by DCTV
DeKalb County begins one-day-a-week sanitation collection service July 6, 2015
Residential customers will have same-day garbage, recyclable materials and yard trimmings collection
For more info, call or visit:

(404) 294-2900
www.rollingforwardtoone.com

local

Page 14A The Champion FREE PRESS, FRIDAY, september 18, 2015

A farmers market was set up at the North DeKalb Health Center Sept. 10 in recognition of Eat More Fruits and Veggies Month. Photos by Andrew Cauthen

The farmers market was organized to promote locally grown fruits and vegetables.

Georgia First Lady Sandra Deal, center, learned about various vegetables.

Health department celebrates
veggie month with farmers market

by Andrew Cauthen
[email protected]
Bobby Merrell drove 125 miles
Sept. 10 from Dooley County in
south Georgia to bring fresh Georgia grown fruits and vegetables to
DeKalb County.
He loaded tables with muscadines, peaches, plums, apples and
various vegetables—80 percent of
which came from his brother’s Merrell Farm.
“Anytime you can get some fresh
fruits and vegetables into anyone’s
body that’s going to help right off the
bat,” said Merrell, who travels around
the state taking fruits and vegetables
to various communities.
September is “Eat More Fruits
and Veggies Month!” and in DeKalb,
Merrell was participating in DeKalb
County Board of Health’s Women’s,
Infant and Children [WIC] farmers
market at the North DeKalb Health
Center in Chamblee. The event was
designed to help educate consumers
about locally grown Georgia fruits
and vegetables helping to support
Georgia’s billion-dollar agriculture
environment.
“Being creative, resourceful and

innovative is critical for us to address complex urban public health
issues such as diabetes, hypertension,
childhood and adult obesity as well
as cancer,” Dr. S. Elizabeth Ford, the
district health director, said about
the farmer’s market that distributed
produce to hundreds of DeKalb WIC
clients.
Promoting “healthy fruits and
vegetables [is] the way that we decrease childhood obesity,” Ford said.
“It’s so nice to see the farmers
markets springing up everywhere,”
said Georgia First Lady Sandra Deal,
who attended the event.
“I grew up on a farm,” Deal said.
“We always had fresh fruits and vegetables that came out of the garden.
I spent my summers peeling apples
to be dried or cooked, or breaking
beans and canning beans for the
winter. We just always ate from the
garden.”
Deal said that when her husband
Nathan was running for governor
initially, she got sick.
“I went to the doctor to see what
was wrong…and I had a gluten intolerance,” Sandra Deal said. “That was
because we had been on the road and
eating fast food all that year. I wasn’t

used to that because at home we
cooked three meals a day.
“These children who come up
in these apartment buildings don’t
know what it’s like to have fresh food
unless somebody makes it available
to them,” she added.
At the farmers market, Veronica
Watson represented ECOPAAT (Enriching Communities One Plat At A
Time) Garden, a nonprofit organization in Atlanta whose mission is to
inform families about health and nutrition, Earth stewardship and urban
agricultural economy.
Watson showed Deal various
vegetables, including Asian, or yardlong, green beans.
“There are some that will grow
this long,” she said about the green
beans, her hands apart approximately
three feet.
“Now there are heirloom [green
beans],” Watson said, picking a few
spotted green beans. “This is the way
pole beans used to look a long time
ago before they made all of them
uniformly green. They’re bringing
the seeds back so we can grow them
again.”
Watson said, “A lot of the people
who live around these areas are in

food deserts. They’re not within 15
minutes of a major grocery store that
has that abundance of fruits and vegetables.”
George Lockhart, a master gardener and volunteer at the farmers
market, said, “Most of Atlanta, Fulton and DeKalb don’t have fresh food
that’s available to people who can
walk to it.
“You have to be able to drive,”
Lockhart said. “If you can’t drive and
you can’t get to the food, you’re going to feed yourself and the children
around you with what you have.
Most of that is canned and packaged
food, which leads to diabetes, high
blood pressure and different things.”
“We’re trying to make fresh
fruit and vegetables available,” said
Sandra Hall of Clarkston. “For our
young people, if they don’t know how
to process fresh food—a lot of young
people don’t know how to cook—we
are also here to tell them how to cook
and how to cook without the fat and
the oils.”
Hall said the volunteers also were
promoting Georgia grown produce.
“It helps the farmer as well as
helps the consumer,” Hall said.

The Champion FREE PRESS, FRIDAY, september 18, 2015

Charity Continued From Page 1A
and what they can do as a team
that benefits the community, he
said.
“We all have different communities that we support but we
wanted something that would
bring us together and generate a
big impact. The book drive is a
great way to do that,” Dave said.
He added, “Our philosophy is
‘teaching children through play.’
Teaching children to give back
and do some charity work is a
great thing that we synthesize in
our classrooms and the response
has been tremendous; not only
at my school but at all the other
Goddard Schools in the area.”
The book drive aims to bring
“much-needed resources to underprivileged kids while also
teaching about the importance of
charity, cooperation and creativity.”
Dave said, “We’re pretty confident that we’re going to meet the
target if not exceed it. The parents are super excited. The kids
are decorating their classrooms
with all different types of artwork… We focus a lot of STEAM
(science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics) and art
is a big factor of that.”

local

Page 15A

Goddard students have hosted
design-a-door contests, created
posters and designed bookmarks.
Dave said, “It’s paramount
to get children involved in their
communities at an early age. The
earlier you model the behavior,
the longer lasting impact it will
have on their lives. We instill
these philosophies by showcasing that it’s good to give back. I
think they’ll keep this education
throughout their lifelong learning
experience.”
According to Children Read,
61 percent of lower income families have no children’s books in
the home. Organizers of the nonprofit said, “The lack of books
puts children at a disadvantage,
because 75 percent of students
who are poor readers in third
grade remain poor readers in
high school.”
To make a book donation,
deliver books to 2936M North
Druid Hills Road; Little Shop of
Stories in downtown Decatur;
or Tall Tales Book Shop in the
Toco Hill Shopping Center, 2105
Lavista Road. Atlanta. To learn
more about Children Read visit
www.childrenreadatlanta.org.
Preschoolers place their book donations in the “book mobile” bin.

Gannon Continued From Page 1A
had decided to seek the seat.
Gannon took office as the
Super District 6 commissioner in 2004.
“It seemed like the right
thing to do at that time,”
Gannon said. “It’s the social
worker in me—problemsolving and wanting to help
people. That’s just the background and sort of who I am.
Gannon said her decade
as an elected official has been
“really like a roller coaster.”
“It was up and down,”
Gannon said. “We had this
financial period of going
up, which would be my
first term. There was lots of
money.”
“[During] my second
term the bottom fell out,” she
said. “We saw Dunwoody
become a city. The recession
hit. We did nothing but cut
all those things that we were DeKalb County Kathie Gannon speaks to the county’s legislative delegation earlier this year as interim CEO
Lee May and Commissioners Larry Johnson and Jeff Rader look on. Photo by Andrew Cauthen
spending too much money
on to begin with.
“We went up and we went that’s going on and I’m truly
horrible anxiety out there
have recycling, so I got redown and now, in my third
embarrassed, because I think about what’s going to happen cycling going,” she said. “I
term, we’re starting to go
to DeKalb County,” Gannon
we contribute to the probput together a task force of
back up again in terms of the lems every bit as much as the said.
citizens who were interested
kinds of resources we have,”
One her proudest accom- in the subject…and what we
CEOs. It’s embarrassing and
Gannon said.
plishments, Gannon said,
it’s very, very sad.
did was promote recycling”
“This part of the decade—
was the establishment of the
“I know we want to try
in the community.
it’s been very sad,” Gannon
to look at positives and keep county’s recycling program.
After the county started
said. “I sit on that dais some- pushing for getting positive
“When I became a comits recycling program, Gantimes and they talk about the things done, but…there’s still missioner, we still did not
non moved on to establishcorruption and all of the stuff

ing a Green Commission to
address “the whole idea of
sustainability.”
“I just felt it was important to keep the message out
there as opportunities for
people to learn new ways
of doing things,” said Gannon, who became known
as the green commissioner.
“Also I felt it was important
for the county to do more
in terms of the whole initiative of sustainability. It’s not
like everything out there is
a renewable resource. And
it’s not like it’s ours. We are
stewards.”
Gannon said she is “looking for a turnaround” in
DeKalb’s future.
“We have got to put this
corruption behind us,” she
said. “And I don’t think the
way that we do that is just to
say ‘it doesn’t exist’ or ‘let’s
just trudge forward and pretend it’s not there.’
“It’s better to meet it head
on–get these investigations
out there and done, [and]
get the feds to move or not
move,” Gannon said. “We
need to cleanse this county
and so we can move forward.
I think people want that.
They want to know it’s over
and that the bad guys are
gone.”

local

Page 16A The Champion FREE PRESS, FRIDAY, september 18, 2015

Head Start/Early Head Start and
GA Pre-K enrollment under way

Joe Seconder leads members of Bike Walk Dunwoody in a bike ride to the capitol.

Bicycle advocate champions
pedestrian rights
by Ashley Oglesby
[email protected]
As bicycling grows in popularity, traffic
congestion increases, Congress contemplates
new transportation laws and a number of
Americans want to maintain or increase
funding for biking and walking.
For more than five years bicycle advocate
Joe Seconder has requested more on-street
parking for bikes in the Dunwoody area.
Seconder said he has a passion for promoting bicycle and walking as viable means
of transportation.
Seconder is a member of Dunwoody’s
sustainability committee, vice president of
Georgia Bikes, founder of the now defunct
Bike Cobb and operator of BikeWalkDunwoody.org.
He said he has to walk a fine line between
what he does as an official member of a city
committee and what he does as a private
citizen but through his website BikeWalkDunwoody, Seconder has recruited approximately 1,000 followers to help his cause.
He said the group organizes call to action, conducts surveys and ask people to
write to council members but, “it takes a
whole lot to get people to come to a meeting.”
Seconder wants Dunwoody officials to
update their bike parking policy and make
a requirement for businesses to install bike

racks and provide “secure bicycle parking.”
City of Dunwoody officials have made
plans to improve pedestrian pathways which
have been detailed most recently in their
comprehensive transportation plan.
According to the Public Works Department’s 2012 through 2019 plan, Dunwoody
will spend $25,000 on bike routes to make a
more bike-friendly community.
Dunwoody Parks and Recreation Director Brent Walker said the trails will “give
people another option to not only get to their
parks but also to be able to get through the
city without having to use their vehicles.”
On Sept. 10 at a sustainability committee
meeting Seconder said he recommended that
Rebecca Keefer, director of sustainability
purchase a publication printed by The Association of Pedestrian and Bicycle Professionals “so that we can offer it up to a private
property owners if they would like to know
the proper guidelines to put in a bicycle rack,
to add bicycle parking and to make it inviting so humans might be more comfortable
getting there in ways other than being in a
motor vehicle.”
He said as a city committee “we have to
focus on encouraging rather than enforcing,
and recommending rather than dictating.
We’re just an advisory board. We have no
authority. We cannot change any policies. We
can only recommend things.”

CALL FOR A GENERAL MUNICIPAL ELECTION 
CITY OF STONE MOUNTAIN 

 
Notice is hereby given that, in accordance with O.C.G.A § 21‐2‐9(c), a general municipal 
election shall be held in the City of Stone Mountain, DeKalb County, on November 3, 
2015 to fill the office of three (3) Council Member seats for four‐year terms.   
 
All persons who are not registered to vote and who desire to register to vote in the 
general municipal election may register with the DeKalb County Board of Elections and 
Voter Registration, 4380 Memorial Drive, Suite 300, Decatur, GA 30032 through the 
close of business on Monday, October 5, 2015.  Polls will be open from 7:00 a.m. until 
7:00 p.m. on Election Day. 
 

The Partnership for Community Action Inc. is
recruiting families to enroll in its Head Start/ Early Head
Start Program, from birth to 5 years old.
To be eligible for the Georgia Pre-K Head Start, a
child must be 4 years old by Sept. 1 of the current year,
and a family must meet low-income guidelines. When
registering, families must provide proof of income (tax
return, W-2); certified birth certificate from vital statistics; current blue shot record with Varicella (chicken
pox); current physical exam with hemoglobin results;
Medicaid/insurance card; and proof of residency (a lease
or utility bill, rental agreement, electricity/two water
bills, etc.).
Those residing with someone else must have a utility
bill or a lease in the person’s name and a notarized letter
stating that they reside with the person. Transportation
must be provided by parents. Families most in need may
apply for limited spots.

DeKalb Workforce offers soft
skills training for job seekers
In recognition of Workforce Development Month,
soft skills training for job seekers will be held on
Wednesday, Sept. 30, from 9 to 11 a.m. at DeKalb
Workforce Development, 774 Jordan Lane, Bldg. #4,
Decatur.
“Hard skills may help get an employee hired, but candidates need soft skills to get in the door,” states an announcement about the event. Examples of hard skills are
Microsoft Office, certifications, degrees, trades, subject
matter expertise. Soft skills are personality, work ethic,
communication style, dress, problem solving, creative
thinking and an ability to work well with others or in
teams.
“Studies show hard skills or technical skills are valued
at 44 percent while soft skills or interpersonal skills are
valued at 56 percent to employers,” the announcement
states.
The free workshops include, soft skills development,
speed interviewing, work ready, dress for success tips,
and financial literacy.
For more information, contact Partnership for Community Action at (404) 929-2503.
METROPOLITAN ATLANTA RAPID TRANSIT AUTHORITY

Notice of Public Hearing
September 22, 2015
MARTA Headquarters Atrium
2424 Piedmont Road, NE
Atlanta, GA 30324

10:30 a.m.
Notice is hereby given that the Board of Directors of the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit
Authority (MARTA) will hold a public hearing for the purpose of receiving input on the proposed MARTA Mobility Eligibility process to include functional assessments
for certification and recertification to determine eligibility for all who qualify for
paratransit services and to provide better service for seniors and patrons with disabilities.
For formats (FREE of charge) in accordance with the ADA and Limited English Proficiency regulations
contact, (404) 848-4037. For those patrons requiring further accommodations, information can be
obtained by calling the Telephone Device for the Deaf (TDD) at 404 848-5665.
In addition, a sign language interpreter will be available at all hearings. If you cannot attend the
hearings and want to provide comments you may: (1) leave a message at (404) 848-5299; (2) write to
MARTA’s Office of External Affairs, 2424 Piedmont Road, N.E. Atlanta, GA 30324-3330; (3) complete
an online Comment Card at www.itsmarta.com; (4) or fax your comments no later than Sept. 24,
2015 to (404) 848-4179.
All citizens of the City of Atlanta and the counties of Fulton, DeKalb, Clayton and Gwinnett whose interests are affected by the subjects to be considered at these hearings are hereby notified and invited to appear at said times and places and present such evidence, comment or objection as their interests require.
Keith T. Parker, AICP, General Manager/CEO

BUSINESS

The Champion FREE PRESS, FRIDAY, september 18, 2015Page 17A

Locally produced stationery is among the items available at
Garage Door Studio.

Cottage industry toys make unusual gifts, the owners say.

Unique photographs are for sale at the boutique.

Partner Patty Rollins shows handmade jewelry.

A local milliner makes hats and fascinators.

Boutique and ‘creative haven’ approaches first anniversary
by Kathy Mitchell
Four friends—all artists and all
Avondale Estates residents—were
having one of their frequent gettogethers when one of them said,
“Wouldn’t it be great if instead of
selling our work at fairs and festivals
we opened our own shop?”
Within 18 months, Garage Door
Studio opened in a downtown Avondale Estates space that once housed a
printing shop, then a theater. “Having a brick-and-mortar space allows
us not only to have a cooperative
retail boutique, but it also allows us
to do what we all love doing—teaching,” said Patty Rollins, one of the
partners.
Inspired by Buddhist prayer
beads, or mala, that she saw on a trip
to Thailand, Rollins launched Bliss
108, producing necklaces containing
the seven colors she said represent
“our energy chakras”—bliss, intuition, communication, love, inner
strength, creativity and earthly connection.
Another partner, Lou Callaway,
is a goldsmith and jeweler, who aspires “to make jewelry design fun,
putting smiles on the faces of those

who wear her creations.” The others are Rachel Hertzog, whose “love
of all things vintage” inspires the
crafting of wraps, pouches, bags and
other items from discarded cashmere
and wool sweaters, and Jen Singh,
whose mixed media and watercolor
works have been featured in several
publications and galleries.
The four artists, who refer to
themselves as “the Garage Girls,” say
their establishment is more than a
retail outlet; it’s a place where artists
can find encouragement, information and support.
In addition to their own work,
the partners sell the work of local
artists who offer items from candles
to children’s clothing to stationery.
More than 60 artists are featured in
the 2,000-square-foot retail cooperative. “Everything is handmade and
therefore one-of-a-kind,” Rollins
said. “People come here looking for
gifts that are unique in the truest
sense of the word.
“We’re a true co-op,” she continued. “When we sell an item, we
get a percentage and the artist gets a
percentage. When someone comes in
and buys something they’re supporting local artists, enabling them to
buy more materials and make more

things. I love writing checks to the
artists.”
Rollins said Garage Door Studio
works with emerging artists to help
them develop their skills and become
known in the community. “We’re all
in our 40s and have been doing this
for a while,” she said of the partners.
“We especially like helping young
artists who are just starting out. They
may be very talented but need to
learn about the business end of making and selling their creations.”
The array of handcrafted items
includes some that are rarely available, Rollins pointed out. “We have
an artist who makes bow ties and one
who makes skirts out of old T-shirts;
we even have a milliner who makes
hats and fascinators. With all the interest in Prince William and [Duchess] Kate there’s a renewed interest in
those,” she said.
Garage Door Studio’s owners also
describe the business as “a creative
haven that offers classes, workshops
and camps.” There are classes for artists at all skill levels, including classes
for children as young as 8 years old.
Many classes are established and described on the website. Others can be
custom designed for groups such as
coworkers or scout troops.

influential

“The classes are really popular.
We keep them small—around 12
participants—and typically they fill
quickly,” Rollins said, adding that the
studio hosts special events such as
birthday parties and girls’ night outs
at which guests handcraft an item to
take away as they share refreshments
and fun.
“We teach what we sell and so
do many of our artist associates,” she
said. “The boutique and the classes
are like two separate businesses that
complement one another perfectly.”
As Garage Door Studio approaches its first anniversary Oct. 1,
Rollins said the owners are still adjusting to the market. “We’re watching closely to see what our customers
are most interested in so we know
what to more of and what to do less
of.”
Rollins said the boutique’s location is perfect for a business such as
theirs. “Avondale Estates is growing
and the arts are at its heart. Here and
in nearby communities such as Decatur people share our values. They
share our interest in sustainability
and supporting small locals businesses. People here love us.”


DeKalb Chamber of Commerce • Two Decatur Town Center, 125 Clairemont Ave., Suite, Decatur, GA 30030 • 404.378.8000 • www.dekalbchamber.org

EDUCATION

The Champion FREE PRESS, FRIDAY, september 18, 2015Page 18A

A Little Free Library has been placed outside of Cross Keys High School to promote
reading.

Student Support Specialist Jason Randall stands in the halls of Cross Keys High School.

Cross Keys High School has been a part of DeKalb County School District for 57 years.

School addresses first generation students’ needs
by Ashley Oglesby
[email protected]
It’s approximately one month into the school
year at Cross Keys High School. Student Support
Specialist Jason Randall said staff and administrators are focused on three key elements this year:
health, college readiness and career readiness.
“One of our biggest issues is trying to make
sure that our students graduate within four years.
They come in as a big group when they’re freshmen but as they progress into sophomores, juniors
and seniors that number dwindles,” he said.
Cross Keys High School administrators and
staff members met over the summer to create a
calendar of events to keep their missions in focus.
The staff organized a college fair, community
health fair, career day fair, campus beautification
project and more to take place throughout the
school year.
One of the first events this year was an orientation with local organizations interested in community partnership. The event was held on Sept.
11.
Randall said the purpose of the meeting was to
help staff “put a name to a face” and minimize the
overlap in academic programs.

Partnering with community businesses will
provide support in teaching students about “financial literacy, how to land a job interview, how to
dress for success and more,” according to Randall
who also serves as the interim coordinator of the
Parent-Teacher Association.
He said this year the association has “already
noticed an increase in parent involvement.”
The association currently has 45 members and
has increased its budget to $2,000 compared to last
school year’s budget of $70.
“Their involvement is important because a lot
of our students are first generation high school
students,” Randall said.
He added, “It presents a multitude of challenges when you have students who are first generation. You hear students say, ‘We’re here because
we have to be here legally,’ so they understand the
law but sometimes they may not understand the
importance.”
To combat this issue, Randall assisted in
launching Thrive Youth Development, a peer
mentorship program funded by Center for Pan
Asian Community Services Inc. The nonprofit
organization aims to promote self-sufficiency and
equity for immigrants, refugees and the underprivileged through comprehensive health and so-

cial services, capacity building, and advocacy.
Randall said the group attracted 13 participants last year.
This year the program has attracted 25 participants who were nominated by counselors, teachers, and assistant principals.
The program is voluntary and some students
have “already expressed that they did not want to
continue with the program,” Randall said.
He said he has hand selected a few students
that he thinks could benefit from the program and
plans to keep at minimum 22 active participants in
the program.
Cross Keys High School is also in an overcrowded cluster.
DeKalb County School District officials have
set public meetings to discuss overcrowding in the
Cross Keys cluster of schools.
A meetings will take place on Sept. 17 from 6
to 7:30 p.m. at Sequoyah Middle School, 3456 Aztec Road in Doraville. Other schools in the district
include Cary Reynolds Elementary School, Dresden Elementary School, Montclair Elementary
School, Oakcliff Theme and Woodward Elementary School.

EDUCATION

The Champion FREE PRESS, FRIDAY, september 18, 2015Page 19A

Superintendent Stephen Green and administrative staff cut the ribbon for a student art
gallery.

Visual and Performing Arts Coordinator for DeKalb County
School District Keisha Boyd McDuffie guides Superintendent
Stephen Green on a tour of the gallery.

District changes
testing schedule

Newly appointed DeKalb County Schools Superintendent
shares his goal to display more student art.

Stephen Green stands beside his wife Kimberly all smiles and cheering for Miller
Grove High School band performance.

Student art gallery opens
by Ashley Oglesby
[email protected]

On Sept. 10 the DeKalb
County School district presented its first Art Star Hall
of Fame to recognize student
achievements in visual and
performing arts.
The gallery consisted of
50 pieces of art created by
students of the school district
that will be on display for
one year.
Students art was chosen
using a five-star system.
Students received one
star for having a 90 or above
average in their art classes;
two stars for displaying a
mastery of skill and technique observed by a nominating teacher; three stars
for community involvement
awards outside of school;
four stars for the demonstration of leadership and men-

toring.
Visual and Performing
Arts Coordinator for DCSD,
Keisha Boyd McDuffie said
after one year the art pieces
will be taken down.
“The art pieces will be
sent back to each school in
hopes that they will create
their own Art Star Hall of
Fame,” McDuffie said.
The ceremony featured a
chorus, a band and a dance
performance from students
within the district and
brought dozens of parents,
students, staff and administrators to the central office
in Stone Mountain for the
unveiling of the student art
gallery.
DeKalb County Schools
Superintendent Stephen
Green said district officials
want to continue to show
support for students.
“We’re going to continue

 

to invest in [our students]
both financially and through
human capital. We’re going
to make sure that this part,
which is a very important
part of teaching and learning, does not get lost,” Green
said.
He added, “One of the
things that I’ve committed
to, and my predecessor Michael Thurmond has committed to is making sure that
[there is] no question about
who is important and why
we’re here. When you walk
into this building you’re going to see more hard work
and more focus on the chil-

 

dren. You’re going to see
pictures of our children in
action. You’re going to see
their work on display in this
facility as a symbolic declaration and commitment to
what’s important; and that is
our children.”
Green said he hopes that
the cutting of the ribbon for
this gallery “means more
than just cutting the ribbon.”
“It’s more so what it
symbolizes in terms of a new
gateway, a new pathway, a
new beginning, a new level
of expression and commitment to our children,” he
said.

The DeKalb County
School District has changed
its testing schedule after concern over conflicts with Jewish holidays.
The district originally
scheduled the Iowa Tests of
Basic Skills for Sept. 9-25. The
test is used to identify gifted
students.
The Jewish high holidays
Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur both occur during this
time period.
A group of parents wrote
a letter to the district expressing their concern saying, “If
the school district maintains
this schedule, it will pressure
Jewish families to violate their
religious tenets so that their
children can have the best
chance to qualify for gifted
and other special programs.”
It is estimated that Jewish
students make up 10 percent
of Dunwoody and Montgomery Elementary schools.
Concerned parents also have
children at Vanderlyn, Austin,
Chesnut, Peachtree Middle
and other DeKalb schools.
DeKalb Schools released
a statement saying they have
changed the testing schedule
to remove potential conflicts
with religious observances.
The Iowa Test of Basic
Skills were taken Sept. 9, 10,
11, 16,18 and 21. Make-up
tests will be Sept. 22, 23, 24
and 25. The Cognitive Abilities Test will be Oct. 5, 6 and 7
with a make-up day on Oct. 8.
“The revised school testing calendar removes all conflicts with religious holidays
while ensuring timely testing
for students,” Superintendent
Stephen Green said. “We have
been responsive to concerns
that have been raised and we
have sought and arrived at a
solution that is in the best interest of our children.”

Cross Keys Cluster Over‐Capacity Public Meeting 

   The DeKalb County School District will be holding two (2) public meetings to discuss the 
district’s plans to address current and future overcrowding of schools in the Cross Keys 
Cluster.  The schools in the Cross Keys Cluster are: Cary Reynolds ES, Cross Keys HS, Dresden ES, 
Montclair ES, Oakcliff Theme, Sequoyah MS, Woodward ES. 
   The meetings will be held on the following dates at the locations and times shown: 
Tuesday, September 15, 2015: 6:00 PM – 7:30 PM 
Cross Keys High School 
1626 N. Druid Hills Road NE 
Atlanta, GA  30319 
 
Thursday, September 17, 2015: 6:00 PM – 7:30 PM 
Sequoyah Middle School 
3456 Aztec Road 
Doraville, GA  30340 
   Parents and the community are invited to attend. 

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SPORTS

The Champion FREE PRESS, FRIDAY, september 18, 2015Page 21A

Volleyball

The No. 2-ranked Decatur Bulldogs defeated Stratford Academy 2-0 Sept. 10. Photos by Travis Hudgons

Decatur volleyball:

‘This is our year’
by Carla Parker
[email protected]
The 2014 season ended in disappointing
fashion for Decatur High School volleyball.
The Lady Bulldogs lost 3-2 to Morgan
County in the first round of the Class AAA
playoffs, a match Coach Yvett Battles believes
her team should have won.
“We felt we should’ve gone further than we
did [in the playoffs] and we got robbed and we
didn’t play up to our best ability,” she said.
That loss gave Decatur extra motivation
coming into this season and it has worked so
far. The Lady Bulldogs are the No. 2-ranked
team in Class AAA with a 33-1 record. Battles
said the focus this year is to win state.
“We came in really focused and ready to
play this year,” she said. “We wanted to prove
to people that we’re good and [our opponents]
are going to understand that we’re good and
we’re a good team and we’re playing from
our hearts and our souls. We may not be big
bangers. We may not be this or that but we’re
going to make you guys work and show you
that we were here and you’re going to know
when you leave.”
The Lady Bulldogs returned 10 players
from last year’s team. The team has a 6.2 kill
per set average, a .869 hitting percentage and
a 4.4 aces per set average. Battles said she is
happy with how the team is performing but
said the team still has a mountain to climb.
“Some of our flaws are we’re too comfortable,” she said. “We’re doing so well that
we’re too comfortable. I feel sometimes that

we lose sight of where we’re trying to go. So,
it’s trying to maintain that level that we want to
be at, at all times.”
Although it is mostly the same team from
last season, Battles said the team is more disciplined.
“We’re still learning, even though it’s the
same people but the difference is they’re willing to learn. They’re not fighting as much,”
she said. “They’re buying into the system and
they’re doing what needs to be done for the
sake of the team and not for the sake of me.
They’ve just grown; they’re maturing.”
Battles said she gives the players “stern
talkings” to keep them grounded and their
minds on the goal.
“I’m trying to break them down so that they
understand that we have a ways to go, that
we’re not as great as we are because there is
still a mountain to climb and we still have to
work very hard,” she said. “Yeah, we’re 32-1
but I want to be 33-0. I’m not satisfied with
that [one loss] and they shouldn’t be satisfied.
We should come out and dominate.”
Battles said it is the team’s defense that has
brought them this early success and it will be
the defense that will carry them to the playoffs
and hopefully a state championship.
“I always tell them, ‘We may not be the big
girls but we play a heck of a defense.’ That’s
what’s going to carry us,” she said. “I preach
defense first. Defense first is what’s going to
carry us the furthest and everything else will
follow. I think we have a great chance this year
to win state. I think this is our year.”

Orisamola Richardson spikes the ball against Stratford Academy.

SPORTS

The Champion FREE PRESS, FRIDAY, september 18, 2015Page 22A

football

Decatur holds off Towers
by Carla Parker
[email protected]
The Decatur Bulldogs improved to 2-1 on the
season after a 37-20 win over the Towers Titians
at home Sept. 11.
Decatur got off to a rough start on its opening drive after quarterback Quintavius Eagle’s
pass was intercepted by Towers defensive back
D’Angelo Evans and returned for a touchdown,
giving the Titians a 6-0 lead.
The Bulldogs rebounded with a 25-yard
touchdown pass from Eagle to wide receiver Terrill Hall, tying the game at 6. They took a 13-6
lead midway in the first quarter on a 23-yard
touchdown run by Grant Walker.
Decatur extended its lead to 16-6 in the second quarter on a field goal by Ian Wiley. Towers
fumbled on the following possession, Decatur
recovered and scored on its first play from scrimmage. Eagle and Hall connected again on a 25yard touchdown, giving the Bulldogs a 23-6 lead.
Towers offense got a scoring drive going midway in the second quarter that ended in a 7-yard
touchdown run by Chauncey Williams, cutting
Decatur’s lead to 23-12.
The Titians had multiple opportunities to
score more points after the defense caused two
turnovers. Eagle was picked off on back-to-back
possessions, first by Demetrice Gilbert and then
by Tyree Cason. However, Towers could not
capitalize off of Decatur’s miscues and went into
halftime down 23-12.
Decatur showed Towers how to turn a turnover into points in the third quarter. Jarrett Ford

See Decatur on page 23A

Stop
Cyber
bullying
now
Stand
up and
Speak out

Decatur quarterback Quintavius Eagle scrambles for extra yards against Towers. Photos by Travis Hudgons

Athlete of
the Week
Sanders

Ruffin

McKnight

Next Level

Each week The Champion spotlights former high school players from the county who are succeeding in athletics on the college
level.
Dominick Sanders, Georgia (football): The sophomore
strong safety from Tucker had an 88-yard interception returned
for a touchdown in Georgia’s 31-14 win over Vanderbilt Sept. 12.
Sanders finished second on the team with 8 tackles.
Nick Ruffin, Auburn (football): The sophomore defensive
back from St. Pius X had seven tackle and a pass break-up in the
27-20 over Jacksonville State in double overtime Sept. 12.
Paige McKnight, Georgetown (volleyball): The freshman
setter from Dunwoody had 42 assists and 13 digs in the 3-1 win
over Georgia Sept. 11 in the UW-Madison Tournament.

The Champion chooses a male and female high
school Athlete of the Week each week throughout
the school year. The choices are based on
performance and nominations by coaches. Please
e-mail nominations to [email protected] by
Monday at noon.
MALE ATHLETE OF THE WEEK
Will Tomlin, Columbia (football): The senior
quarterback and defensive back rushed for 160
yards on offense and returned an interception 65
yards for a touchdown in the 44-0 win Columbia
to a 44-0 win over Stone Mountain, its first win
of the season, Sept. 11.
FEMALE ATHLETE OF THE WEEK
Walker Wicklund, Dunwoody (softball): The
freshman catcher and outfielder had two hits,
scored a run and had a .667 batting average in the
6-5 win over Chattahoochee Sept. 12.

SPORTS

The Champion FREE PRESS, FRIDAY, september 18, 2015Page 23A
Decatur running back Grant Walker (No. 3) and wide receiver
Terrill Hall (No. 5) gets hyped before the start of the game.
Photos by Travis Hudgons

Decatur

Continued From Page 22A

Decatur coach Scott Jackson examines his team’s Decatur wide receiver Terrill Hall catches a
play.
touchdown pass.

intercepted a Towers pass and Walker scored on the next possession
from 72 yards out, giving the Bulldogs a 30-12 lead.
However, Towers responded on a 58-yard touchdown run by
Torrance Marable, who also scored on the 2-point conversion,
bringing Towers within 10 points (30-20). Decatur responded with a
13-yard touchdown run by freshman Antonio Kilgore, bringing the
score to a final of 37-20.
Decatur coach Scott Jackson was pleased that his team did a better job of holding on to a lead.
“We wanted to come out and do a better job of sustaining drives
in the first half,” Scott said. “We didn’t do that last week. We jumped
out to an early lead and we kind of faltered. So we wanted to [sustain
drives] this week and we were able to do that a little bit. We didn’t
hang our heads on the pick-6 and we rebounded and that was good
to see.”
Decatur (2-1) will try to get its third win of the season Sept. 18
against North Clayton at home. Towers (0-3) will try to get its first
win of the season Sept. 19 against Westminster at Avondale Stadium.
Other Scores
Sept. 11
Meadowcreek (2-1) 53, Clarkston (0-4) 14
St. Pius X (1-2) 42, Lithonia (2-1) 12
Lakeside (2-2) 50, Campbell (2-1) 41
Blackman (Murfreesboro, TN) (3-1) 34, Tucker (2-2) 21
Creekside (4-0) 49, Druid Hills (1-2) 6
Stephenson (2-1) 47, Banneker (0-4) 0
Columbia (1-2) 44, Stone Mountain (0-3) 0
Carver-Atlanta (3-1) 52, Dunwoody (2-1) 0
Cedar Grove (2-1) 35, Miller Grove (2-1) 7
Marist (2-1) 41, Arabia Mountain (0-3) 14
Sept. 12
Grady (2-1) 12, Redan (2-1) 6
Douglass (3-0) 28, McNair (0-3) 8

Decatur sophomore Jarrett Ford holds off a Towers defender while running up field.

Decatur quarterback Quintavius Eagle runs up
field.

Open: Chamblee (1-1), Cross Keys (0-2), M.L. King (1-1), SW
DeKalb (1-2)

local

Page 24A The Champion FREE PRESS, FRIDAY, september 18, 2015

Willis Park
improvements under way
by Carla Parker
[email protected]
Since 2012, Avondale Estates
officials have discussed plans to
renovate Willis Park located off of
Dartmouth Avenue.
Those renovations have now
been approved. City commissioners
voted to move forward with renovations at the Aug. 24 meeting and
improvements to the park began
Sept. 9.
“The park will be closed during
construction, except for a temporary
walking path that will remain open
for children to get to and from The
Museum School,” according to a city
statement. “However, this temporary path may be closed at certain
points in the construction process
to ensure the safety of all. The city
will notify residents in the event of
such a closure. The improvements
are scheduled to take four to five
months to complete.”
The city has owned the park

since 1928, when the deed to Willis
Park was signed over to the city by
the city’s founder George Francis
Willis. The park will have a new
entrance, pavilion and playground
equipment.
Residents had concerns about
safety due to the old equipment.
“I think we took into consideration that when we improve a land
area such as a park there is equipment that we figured is a liability to
us,” Mayor Pro Tem Terry Giager
said at the Aug. 24 meeting. “It’s
wearing out, there are things where
people can get hurt. So, we made a
decision that we’re going to upgrade
it to make sure that we reach all the
safety codes so the children and the
adults will be safe.”
The city awarded contracts to
Integrated Construction and Nobility Inc. for construction ($485,485),
GameTime for playground equipment ($117,700) and jB+a, Inc.
received $24,200 for construction
administration.

The Avondale Estates City Commission approved plans for renovating Willis Park Aug. 24.

Construction workers were at the park Sept. 10. Photo by Carla Parker